Darryl Worley Has Two Albums of New Music in the Works

When Darryl Worley's last album, Sounds Like Life, was released in 2009, no one expected the wait for new music to be so long. But unless Worley had something to say, he didn't want to put out a record. So, he's been waiting -- and now, he has not one, but two, new projects in the works.

"We have a greatest hits project that we’re practically finished with," Worley tells The Boot of one of his next records, which he recorded in Muscle Shoals, Ala., and which will include his new single, "Lonely Alone." "We wanted to put 15 tracks on it, because our plan was to get it out this year, which would be the 15th anniversary of my first No. 1 single, ["I Miss My Friend"]. It has eight of the old hit songs and seven brand-new songs. And, honestly, it’s some of the coolest stuff I think I’ve ever done. It’s got a little bit of a retro vibe about it, but in a real hip, kind-of cool way. Some of the songs, it takes me back to when the Eagles were just really killing it: the big harmonies and big vocal group kind of sound."

Worley is also working on his first-ever Christian album, which he says is a dream come true.

"I’m really, really excited about that," Worley admits. "I always wanted to do it, but I also felt like I needed to get to the right place in my life to do that. Music started coming to me last year, like it was uncontrollable. I would write with some friend of mine who’s in the country thing, and we’d end up writing a Christian song, because I’d play something for them, and they’d go, ‘Crap! That’s really good!’ and they’d jump on it with me. I’ve written a lot of it by myself."

Worley insists that even music fans who don't like Christian music will be drawn to some of the songs he is recording for that project.

"It’s music for broken people, because I’m broken, as we all are," Worley explains. "It’s not all that Southern gospel thing that’s, like, uplifting; it’s about real life. And so, I’m fired up about it. And we’ve had all kinds of weird opportunities come about because we’re doing this. It’s so funny, even when I talked to some of the bigger stations in country, they want to talk about this Christian thing, and that’s never the case ... I run into people on the street, and they go, ‘Hey, you got your Christian thing done yet?’ Who knows; there’s some kind of energy around it, and it’s all good."

Worley concedes that everything is moving so well with his gospel album that it seems as though a higher power might be behind it.

"It’s getting out there somehow, and we’re not even doing anything," he continues. "I love it; I’m excited. My Mom -- she’s always wanted me to do a Christian album. I went home and played her a couple songs -- we’ve got a couple work tracks that we’ve been messing around with. I played her a few of those, and she put her hands up in the air and said, ‘Praise God. My son’s music career is about to begin.’"

The Tennessee native didn't have a lot of time to work on his new albums over the last few months, though. He had an unexpectedly busy fall, which he expects will continue in the new year.

"It’s just recently gotten busy," Worley says. "We always pray for work, so I can’t complain. I’m thankful for the work. And we’re getting some really good gigs. It helps us get caught up and pay the bills. I think it’s all about the new music, even though it’s not out, it’s something we can talk about and people are anticipating it ... Things are good."